Cradle Of Filth : Cruelty And The Beast
Cradle Of Filth, the band that paved the way for black metal, has hit the cruise control for a ride on the heavily traveled musical highway it helped build. Its second Stateside release for Mayhem, Cruelty And The Beast, pummels with a two-tiered vocal attack - part screeching howl, part unholy growl - layered over dramatic organ, blast-beats and Maiden-inspired guitars, all in the name of sadistic fun. "All crimes should be treasured if they bring thee pleasure somehow," pleads a female voice meant to represent Countess Bathory on one of this album's tracks. The Countess, a mythical/historical Transylvanian figure who is said to have bathed in the blood of butchered virgins, is Cruelty And The Beast's conceptual center. She would have no doubt been proud to be the inspiration for such a brutal album.
� 1978-1999 College Media, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. |
